Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Coming up, we're taking an in-depth look at one of rock's most entertaining topics… The “crazy ex” song… as in crazy ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, whatever….we’ve all been there… or at least know someone who has. If you’ve ever had someone take a baseball bat to a windshield or go completely scorched earth on you for reasons you’re still trying to understand, this countdown is for you. We’ve got the story of Axl Rose, who showed up at his girlfriend’s door at 4 AM, threatening to take his own life right there if she didn’t marry him. What a proposal! Then there’s Justin Timberlake, who made a music video about him breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and doing some pretty messed-up stuff. An MTV host called him an "American Psycho,” you know, like the movie. And he pretty much fessed up to it. Also, there’s the popstar Lisa Lopes, who burned down her boyfriend’s million-dollar mansion because he didn’t shoes… For real? You can’t even make this stuff up. Let’s get started.
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Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Jaimee Hammack, Dan Tierney, Sarge, Byrdman, Duff Gordon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
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Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #70srock
Hey Music Junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all-time. Make sure to like, share and comment, and sub. Alright, let’s jump into this one. Please share some of your craziest ex stories below and see if you compare to some of these rockers who went a little too far. Starting things off at #6… I’ve got the story of Jackson Browne, his marriage to actress Daryl Hannah, and an entire album worth of break-ups songs. In the late 60s, Jackson started out as a teenage songwriting prodigy penning tracks for artists like Nico and Eagles. In 1972, Jackson dropped his self-titled debut with "Doctor My Eyes.” And throughout the 70s, he gave us deeply confessional albums like For Everyman, Late for the Sky, The Pretender, and 1977’s Running on Empty.
The 80s brought a different side of Browne — louder, angrier, more outward-looking. He threw himself into the No Nukes movement and foreign policy critiques. Albums like Lives in the Balance and World in Motion had more muscle and more edge. He also found love during this stretch, beginning a relationship around 1983 with Daryl Hannah after spotting her in the crowd at one of his concerts. At the time, Hannah was a 22-year-old rising star, and Browne was a 34-year-old rockstar recently divorced from his second wife, Lynne Sweeney. For nearly a decade, Browne and Hannah were one of LA's most high-profile couples. Daryl’s career in the 80s was an iconic ascent from niche roles to becoming one of Hollywood's most recognizable leading ladies, initiated by her haunting performance as the replicant Pris in Blade Runner and her breakout as the mermaid Madison in Splash. Throughout the rest of the decade, she solidified her A-list status by balancing high-stakes dramas with charming romantic comedies.
Looking from the outside in, Jackson and Daryl seemed perfectly matched: two creative-minded people living out their convictions together. But by September 1992, it was over… and it ended badly. The breakup was a full-blown media firestorm. Hannah alleged that Browne had physically assaulted her at their Santa Monica home, with reported injuries drawing heavy press coverage. Browne has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that he never laid a hand on her. Police were called to the residence, but no charges were filed, and no legal proceedings followed. The contention continued as Hannah attempted to remove her belongings from their shared residence. According to various reports, the move-out was anything but civil. Browne allegedly challenged Hannah over which items were hers and which were his. The tension got so high that Hannah’s family reportedly had to get involved to facilitate her exit from the house.
In the aftermath, Jackson did exactly what you’d expect a songwriter to do… Browne processed the whole thing on record. In 1993, he released I'm Alive, widely celebrated as one of his finest albums and a genuine return to the soul-baring lyricism of his early career. It is also widely recognized as his so-called “breakup album.”
Coming up, we're taking an in-depth look at one of rock's most entertaining topics… The “crazy ex” song… as in crazy ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, whatever….we’ve all been there… or at least know someone who has. If you’ve ever had someone take a baseball bat to a windshield or go completely scorched earth on you for reasons you’re still trying to understand, this countdown is for you. We’ve got the story of Axl Rose, who showed up at his girlfriend’s door at 4 AM, threatening to take his own life right there if she didn’t marry him. What a proposal! Then there’s Justin Timberlake, who made a music video about him breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and doing some pretty messed-up stuff. An MTV host called him an "American Psycho,” you know, like the movie. And he pretty much fessed up to it. Also, there’s the popstar Lisa Lopes, who burned down her boyfriend’s million-dollar mansion because he didn’t shoes… For real? You can’t even make this stuff up. Let’s get started.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Jaimee Hammack, Dan Tierney, Sarge, Byrdman, Duff Gordon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #70srock
Hey Music Junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all-time. Make sure to like, share and comment, and sub. Alright, let’s jump into this one. Please share some of your craziest ex stories below and see if you compare to some of these rockers who went a little too far. Starting things off at #6… I’ve got the story of Jackson Browne, his marriage to actress Daryl Hannah, and an entire album worth of break-ups songs. In the late 60s, Jackson started out as a teenage songwriting prodigy penning tracks for artists like Nico and Eagles. In 1972, Jackson dropped his self-titled debut with "Doctor My Eyes.” And throughout the 70s, he gave us deeply confessional albums like For Everyman, Late for the Sky, The Pretender, and 1977’s Running on Empty.
The 80s brought a different side of Browne — louder, angrier, more outward-looking. He threw himself into the No Nukes movement and foreign policy critiques. Albums like Lives in the Balance and World in Motion had more muscle and more edge. He also found love during this stretch, beginning a relationship around 1983 with Daryl Hannah after spotting her in the crowd at one of his concerts. At the time, Hannah was a 22-year-old rising star, and Browne was a 34-year-old rockstar recently divorced from his second wife, Lynne Sweeney. For nearly a decade, Browne and Hannah were one of LA's most high-profile couples. Daryl’s career in the 80s was an iconic ascent from niche roles to becoming one of Hollywood's most recognizable leading ladies, initiated by her haunting performance as the replicant Pris in Blade Runner and her breakout as the mermaid Madison in Splash. Throughout the rest of the decade, she solidified her A-list status by balancing high-stakes dramas with charming romantic comedies.
Looking from the outside in, Jackson and Daryl seemed perfectly matched: two creative-minded people living out their convictions together. But by September 1992, it was over… and it ended badly. The breakup was a full-blown media firestorm. Hannah alleged that Browne had physically assaulted her at their Santa Monica home, with reported injuries drawing heavy press coverage. Browne has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that he never laid a hand on her. Police were called to the residence, but no charges were filed, and no legal proceedings followed. The contention continued as Hannah attempted to remove her belongings from their shared residence. According to various reports, the move-out was anything but civil. Browne allegedly challenged Hannah over which items were hers and which were his. The tension got so high that Hannah’s family reportedly had to get involved to facilitate her exit from the house.
In the aftermath, Jackson did exactly what you’d expect a songwriter to do… Browne processed the whole thing on record. In 1993, he released I'm Alive, widely celebrated as one of his finest albums and a genuine return to the soul-baring lyricism of his early career. It is also widely recognized as his so-called “breakup album.”
